Vibratory rollers



Sept. 5, 1967 I I HALL 3,339,468

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Sept. 5, 1967 HALL I I 3,339,468

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United States Patent f 3,339,468 VIBRATORY ROLLERS John Peel Hall, Bath, England, assignor to Stothert & Pitt Limited, Bath, England, a corporation of the United Kingdom Filed Feb. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 431,147 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 26, 1964, 8,085/ 64 9 Claims. (Cl. 94-50) This invention relates to vibratory rollers. More particularly it is concerned with a roller having twin roller shells or rolls mounted to revolve about normally parallel axes.

The design of a vibratory roller with twin rolls, while possessing certain operating advantages over the single roll machine or a tandem roller where one roll vibrates and the other roll, being a static roll, having mainly as its function, that of steering, introduces certain complications if the rolls are not to be rigidly suspended within the machine frame.

Two problems arise; firstly the drive, both traction and vibration, to the respective rolls, and secondly steering.

According to the present invention, a twin roll vibratory roller comprises a main frame, on which the prime mover is carried and roll frames in each of which a vibratory roll is resiliently suspended, in which each roll frame is pivotally connected to the main frame to permit relative angular displacement about a vertical axis located on the center-line of the main frame and control means is provided for varying the angular displacement of each roll frame in order to impart steering movements to the roller. Steering control may be effected from a steering wheel on a column on one of the roll frames the column extending to the rear of the machine for control by a pedestrian following the roller or alternatively a seat may be mounted on a roll frame, the seat facing outwardly and the steering wheel arranged in a position suitable for operation from that seat,

The pivotal connections may be provided by king pins on the main frame engaging bearings carried in housings on each roll frame, the housings being mounted on cross 1 members of the roll frame. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of a vibratory roller having twin steerable rolls in accordance with the invention and showing the steering mechanism, and including details of the traction and vibrator drives.

FIGURE 2 is a plan View of the roller of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a part transverse view on the line IIIIII of FIGURE 1 showing the steering mechanism and including the mounting for one of the roller frames.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective diagrammatic view from above showing the steering control transmission of the twin roll frames.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the traction and vibratory drives to each roller.

FIGURE 6 is a part side elevation corresponding to FIGURE 1 showing an alternative form of steering where l the operator is mounted.

FIGURE 7 is a part transverse section showing the roll shell suspension and traction and vibratory drives.

7 Referring to the drawings, the vibratory roller of this invention comprises a main frame, indicated generally at M, and subsidiary roller frames S in which the roller shells R R are resiliently carried.

The main frame M is made up of a pair of central transverse inverted L-section members 11 and corresponding outer frame members 22 supporting top and bottom plates 3, which provide a bed for the engine E and 3,339,468 Patented Sept. 5, 1967 transmission and gear housing H: drive from the gear box is transmitted through gear trains including the forward and reverse travel clutches A to the traction drives T T of the rear and front rolls, the vibrator drives being indicated generally at V V (see FIGS. 1 and 5).

Each of the roller frames S is made up of transverse channel members 6 and 7 which, as can be seen from FIGURE 1, are in different horizontal planes so that the outer member 7 is slightly above the inner member 6.

The transverse frame members 6 and 7 are united to one another by side plates 8 having downwardly depending limbs 10 (FIGURES 1 and 5) so as to form at each side an arch, through one of which the end of the vibratory shaft projects, the two limbs 10 being united by a semicircular bridge plate 11.

Fast on each of the vertical webs of the inner channel members 6 of each of the roll frames is a bracket 12 (see FIGS. 34) mounting a bearing housing 13 for a king pin 14 which, at its upper end, is made fast to the main frame plates 3-3.

As can be seen from FIGURES 14, the roll frames and associated roller shells R R can pivot about their respective king pins 14 whose axes are located on the central fore and aft axis of the roller,

On the underside of the main frame M and on one side thereof is a two-part bracket 26, in which is secured a collar 27 for a transversely aligned rock shaft 25, through which steering movements are transmitted to the respective rolls R R Steering movement is imparted to each roll frame by means of a rod 17 from a steering wheel member W fast on a spindle 18' mounted in bearings in a bracket 18 carried by an inclined steering column 20. Column 20 is attached to the transverse member 7 of the frame of the roll R The rod 17 is connected through a universal coupling 21 to a spindle 22 on the main frame M, the spindle 22 in turn driving by means of a worm 23 a worm wheel 24 fast on the rock shaft 25 the worm drives being enclosed in a housing 25' (FIGURE 3).

On the outer end of the shaft 25 is a two-armed lever, whose respective arms 29, 29' are each connected through a drag link 30 to a pivot stud 34 fast with the upper and lower flanges respectively of the transverse members 6-6' of each roller frame.

The connection between the drag links 30 and their drop arms 29, 29' and studs 34 is by means of threaded sockets 31, 32. Socket 32 forms part of an eye by which it is pivotally secured to stud 34.

It will be seen therefore that steering movement is transmitted by means of the hand wheel W on the spindle 18 so that dependent upon the required direction of steering, the two roll frames S will be moved through the required angle of steering but in opposite directions because of the opposite movements of the lever arms 29, 29.

It is thus possible by means of a hand wheel W to adjust the drive angles of each roll frame S from a position wherein the roll axes are aligned when the roller will travel in a straight line to one in which each roll frame S is swung oppositely through the same angle so that the rolls will follow the required turning circle for either forwards or backwards travel.

Instead of steering from a walking position behind the roller, provision can be made for the operator to be seated on the machine frame.

Referring now to FIGURE 6, the frame S of the front or rear roll as the case may be incorporates a subsidiary frame structure 40 having a seat 41 and footrest 42 for the operator, who steers by means of a steering wheel W on a vertical column 43, from which drive is transmitted through a bevel drive 44 to an 3 intermediate spindle 17 and thence to the rock shaft 25 as in the FIGURE 3 arrangement.

It will be appreciated that under certain conditions of operation, as when travelling uphill or downhill, greater control can be secured by stopping the vibration of one of the roll shells, since this will ensure a continuous grip of that roll on the ground surface.

Accordingly it is a further feature of this invention that the vibration drive to each roller shell is independent and that either vibrator can be started and/or stopped at the will of the operator.

As can be seen from FIGURES l, 2, 5 and 7, each traction drive is by means of a sprocket 61 driving through a chain 62 a toothed ring 63 to a flange 77 on the roll shell end plate.

To prevent the formation of slack both in the driving and driven sides of a chain 62, there are provided idler sprockets 68, 68' journalled to rotate in one arm of a two-armed lever 70, whose other arms are under the control of a spring loaded device 71, similar to that described in the specification of United States Patent No. 2,954,726.

Referring now to FIGURE 5, the input shaft 50 of the gearbox H drives through one or other of a pair of cone or like friction clutches 100 and 101 (clutch 100 being for the reverse drive and clutch 101 for the forward drive) gear trains indicated generally at 51, including pinions 51' on a lay shaft 52, from which lay shaft 52 drive, in turn, is transmitted through pinions 53, 54 to large and small pinions 53, 54 of a twospeed travel gear on a driven shaft 88.

Each of the pinions 53', 54' forms one component of a dog clutch, the second component of which is not shown but which can be moved into engagement with the dog teeth on either of the pinions 54', 53, respectively to give slow and fast speed traction drive. On the end of the driven shaft 88 is a final drive pinion 56 which meshes with pinions 57 of each of a series of reduction gears, indicated generally at 57 by which traction drive is imparted to drive shafts 58, from which drive is transmitted to final drive shafts 60 in the traction drive to each roller. It will be understood that the traction drive transmission so far described is enclosed within the housing H on the main frame.

Shafts 58 are connected through universal couplings 65 to respective Cardan shafts 59, which in turn drive stub axle shafts 60 through a second universal coupling 65', the shafts 60 being journalled to rotate in suitable bearings on their respective roll frames S.

The shaft 50 carrying the travel clutches 100, 101 in each traction drive T T has an extension 50" on which is fast a drive pinion 63, which drives through similar gear trains 64, shafts 66, on each of which shafts is a clutch 67.

The output shafts of the clutches 67 are coupled through universal couplings 102 through Cardan shafts 69, by which drive is transmitted through similar couplings 103 to stub axle 170 on the roll frames S, each axle 170 having a pulley 171, by which drive is transmitted through a belt 172 to a pulley 87 on the end of thevibrator shaft 86 (see FIGURE 7) for each roll R R Referring now to FIGURE 2, the steering column 20' is provided at its rear end with a control box B for a gear change lever 90 shiftable from forward through neutral to reverse positions. Also incorporated in the box B are hand grips 91 having clutch actuating levers 92, 93 respectively for the rear and front vibrator clutches, which levers on being released from the dotted line position of FIGURE 2 to the full line position cause engagement of the clutches to operate their respective vibrator drives.

In FIGURE 1 the respective vibrator (V V and traction drives (T T for the sake of clearance are not duplicated for the front and rear rolls. The vibrator drive, which includes a pulley 171, belt 172 driving a pulley 87 fast on the end of the vibrator shaft, is shown as applied to the rear roll only while the traction drive which includes the toothed wheel 61 and chain 62 is shown as applied to the front roll only.

Referring to FIGURE 7 the flexible mounting for each roll comprises an annular block of rubber C mounted in shear and secured respectively between an annular plate 78 fast on the side plate 8 of the roll frame S and the radial flange of a bush 84, within which a spigot 83 on the roll shell revolves. Annular plate 78 also carries snubbing rollers, one of which is indicated at 79.

It will be seen that the roll shell is built on to a two part housing 82 having formed with the spigot 83, by which the roll shell is mounted to revolve.

The vibrator spindle 80, which is journalled in a bearing 81 enclosed in the housing 82, is formed with the shaft extension 86 which extends through the flanged bush 84 and has secured to its outer end the drive pulley 87. The resilient suspension is the subject of United States Patent 2,671,386.

The division of a structure into a main frame and two pivoted roll frames enables steering to be carried out with ease on the part of the operator.

On turning the handle W movement will be transmitted to each roll frame S so as to cause the roll frames to swing oppositely through the same angle to give the required turning circle whether the roller is travelling backwards or forwards.

Because the rolls are resiliently mounted, their vibrations do not control frame movement. Thus their vibrations can be independent and no timing gear is required.

The provision of clutches 67 in each of the vibrator drives V V has a further advantage that if required as when travelling up and down an incline the vibratory movement of one of the rollers can be cut out.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vibratory roller structure including a main frame, two. vibratory roll frames, means mounting said roll frames on said main frame for independent angular steering displacement about spaced pivots on the fore-andaft axis of said main frame, roll shells respectively mounted for rotation on said roll frames, vibratory means for vibrating said roll shells, and power and transmission means for rotating said roll shells for traction drive of said roller structure and for operating said vibratory means;

the improvement that the power and transmission means for rotating said roll shells comprises:

(a) a single motor mounted on said main frame on an axis transverse to said fore-and-aft axis thereof;

(b) a gear box mounted on said main frame on said transverse axis and in alignment with said motor;

(c) a driving connection between said motor and said gear box;

(d) two gear box output members located symmetrically with respect to said gear box and said transverse axis;

(e) elements respectively mounted on said roll frames, both on the same side of said roller structure, and being connected respectively to said roll shells for rotating the latter;

(f) two angular displaceable Cardan shafts extending transversely of said roller structure; and

(g) universal couplings coupling opposite ends of said Cardan shafts respectively to said members and said elements,

(h) the power transmission means for transmitting power to said vibratory means being connected to said vibratory means at said same side of said roller structure as the connection of the power transmission means to said elements which rotate said roll shells.

2. A vibratory roller structure as claimed in claim 1 comprising steering means which includes a column on one of the vibratory roll frames; a handwheel mounted on and rotatable with respect to the column, a part rockably mounted on said main frame, means for transmitting motion from the hand-wheel to said rockable part, and means connecting the rockable part to each vibratory roll frame.

3. A vibratory roller structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the traction drive transmission means comprises a common shaft mounted rotatably on said main frame, a driven shaft mounted rotatably on said main frame, means including forward and reverse drive clutches for transmitting drive from said common shaft to said driven shaft, and means for transmitting drive from said driven shaft to each roll shell.

4. A vibratory roller structure as claimed in claim 3 in which each roll shell has a stub axle rotatably mounted on the associated roll frame.

5. A vibratory roller structure as claimed in claim 1 in which the transmission means for operating said vibratory means comprises a driven shaft and independent gear trains on the main frame, by which drive is transmitted from said driven shaft to the vibratory means of each roll shell.

6. A vibratory roller structure as claimed in claim 5 in which the vibratory means for each roll shell includes a vibrator shaft and in which means for transmitting drive to each vibrator shaft comprises a Cardan shaft and universal joints coupling the ends of said Cardan shaft respectively with said vibrator shaft and a member rotatable on said main frame by power output from said gear box.

7. A vibratory roller structure according to claim 1 in which said means mounting said roll frames on said main frame for angular steering displacement about spaced pivots comprises, for each of said roll frames; a king pin mounted on said main frame on the central foreand-aft axis thereof; and a bearing mounted on said roll frame and being pivotally received on said king pin.

8. A vibratory roller structure as claimed in claim 7 including steering means comprising a steering column mounted on one of said roll frames; a steering member mounted on said steering column; a transverse rock shaft mounted on said main frame; lever arms on said rock shaft; means operatively connecting said steering member to said rock shaft; and drag links connecting said lever arms respectively to said roll frames.

9. A vibratory roller as claimed in claim 8 in which the drive transmission to the vibratory means of each roll shell includes a clutch device to enable one roll shell to be vibrated without the other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,090,447 3/1914 Buckwalter 94-50 X 2,132,107 10/1938 Hanma 9450 2,587,343 2/1952 Lind 94-40 X 2,671,386 3/1954 Kerridge 94-50 3,026,781 3/1962 Schafer 94-50 3,038,350 6/1962 Meyer 94-50 X 3,048,089 8/1962 Kaltenegger 9450 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner. N. C. BYERS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A VIBRATORY ROLLER STRUCTURE INCLUDING A MAIN FRAME, TWO VIBRATORY ROLL FRAMES, MEANS MOUNTING SAID ROLL FRAMES ON SAID MAIN FRAME FOR INDEPENDENT ANGULAR STEERING DISPLACEMENT ABOUT SPACED PIVOTS ON THE FORE-ANDAFT AXIS OF SAID MAIN FRAME, ROLL SHELLS RESPECTIVELY MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON SAID ROLL FRAMES, VIBRATORY MEANS FOR VIBRATING SAID ROLL SHELLS, AND POWER AND TRANSMISSION MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROLL SHELLS FOR TRACTION DRIVE OF SAID ROLLER STRUCTURE AND FOR OPERATING SAID VIBRATORY MEANS; THE IMPROVEMENT THAT THE POWER AND TRANSMISSION MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROLL SHELLS COMPRISES: (A) A SINGLE MOTOR MOUNTED ON SAID MAIN FRAME ON AN AXIS TRANSVERSE TO SAID FORE-AND -AFT AXIS THEREOF; (B) A GEAR BOX MOUNTED ON SAID MAIN FRAME ON SAID TRANSVERSE AXIS AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID MOTOR; 7C) A DRIVING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID MOTOR AND SAID GEAR BOX; (D) TWO GEAR BOX OUTPUT MEMBERS LOCATED SYMMETRICALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID GEAR BOX AND SAID TRANSVERSE AXIS; (E) ELEMENTS RESPECTIVELY MOUNTED ON SAID ROLL FRAMES, BOTH ON THE SAME SIDE OF SAID ROLLER STRUCTURE, AND BEING CONNECTED RESPECTIVELY TO SAID ROLL SHELLS FOR ROTATING THE LATTER; (F) TWO ANGULAR DISPLACEABLE CARDAN SHAFT EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID ROLLER STRUCTURE; AND (G) UNIVERSAL COUPLINGS COUPLING OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID CARDAN SHAFTS RESPECTIVELY TO SAID MEMBERS AND SAID ELEMENTS, (H) THE POWER TRANSMISSION MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING POWER TO SAID VIBRATORY MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID VIBRATORY MEANS AT SAID SAME SIDE OF SAID ROLLER STRUCTURE AS THE CONNECTION OF THE POWER TRANSMISSION MEANS TO SAID ELEMENTS WHICH ROTATE SAID ROLL SHELLS. 